Digital transformation in Da Nang’s tourism businesses, and its tourism sector as a whole aims to improve customer service quality in a bid to meet the needs and tastes of tourists, as well as increase convenience for them.

A staff member of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center (left) helping a foreigner to access information about the city’s events. Photo: NHAT HA

Da Nang once again topped the Digital Transformation Index (DTI) rankings in 2021 in three categories of digital government, digital economy and digital society, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications announced at the third meeting of the National Committee on Digital Transformation on August 8. Da Nang has earned nationwide first place in DTI rankings for second time in a row.

Data provided by the Municipal Department of Tourism shows that 900 out of the city’s 1,280 tourist accommodation establishments or nearly 70% have till date reopened their doors to together offer a combined total of 33,570 rooms. Amid gradual recovery across the city’s tourism businesses driven by a rise in tourist arrivals, Da Nang is paying special attention to boosting digital transformation in tourism, and promoting the application of smart travel solutions in a bid to better serve the needs of tourists.

Apart from making video clips to promote the city as an attractive destination for domestic and foreign visitors, the tourism sector is taking all comprehensive and flexible steps to boost digital transformation. Many travel businesses and hotels in the city have increased their use of touchless technologies with the delivery of cashless payment, facial recognition check-in services, online customs declaration and more.

Mr Nguyen Xuan Binh, the Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism highlighted the importance of boosting digital transformation in tourist accommodation and optimizing operations with the delivery of new tourism products in an attempt to make them more inviting to domestic and foreign tourists. While the pandemic has changed greatly the accommodation guest experience in many ways, it's also reinforced some growing trends that travellers are asking for during COVID-19. Self-service options and new technologies are among those trends.

The Municipal Department of Tourism has been focusing on promoting digital transformation in the tourism sector, applying information technology into building connections with service providers, and creating more tourist utilities. The Department targets to build data and digital platforms in efforts to support tourism businesses to better serve their customers.

In its efforts to prepare local tourist accomodation for digital transformation, the Municipal Department of Tourism has organized intensive training courses on digital transformation designed for 1 to 3-star and 4 to 5-star accommodation facilities. These courses have contributed to standardizing customer service quality in these establishments, developing their skills and confidence in their journey to digital transformation in order to help them improve their competitiveness and optimise their operations.

Co-organised by the Da Nang Department of Tourism and local relevant agencies, a recent seminar entitled ‘Optimising capacity for digital transformation and smart lighting solutions in tourist accommodation in 2022’ helped accommodation establishments, travel businesses, and tourist attractions connect with experienced providers offering digital transformation services and solutions along with smart lighting solutions in order to enable these businesses to ensure a successful digital transformation as well as make their establishments more attractive to tourists.

Mr. Le Cong Tuan Kiet, the Deputy Director General of the Dien Quang Lamp Joint Stock Company, remarked that smart tourism is developed on the basis of applying modern science and technology achievements, especially information and communication technology to meet travelers’ demands. Smart tourism destinations are usually smart cities with advanced technology infrastructure that ensures sustainable development while making it easy for visitors to access and increasing the quality of the visitor's experience. Hence, good lighting design will bring a new look to tourist accomodation at night, make these facilities feel more sophisticated as well as impact their customer psychology positively. Maximum visibility distance by appropriate light layering will contribute to stimulating the demand for entertainment from visitors, Mr Kiet noted.

Mr Nguyen Duc Quynh, the Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association and Director General of the Furama Resort Danang stated that the application of smart lighting technology to accommodation facilities aims to adapt to new trends while sastifying the needs and tastes of tourists. Lighting technology is now used in hotel rooms and outdoor decorations in order to make an impression on visitors at night, Mr Quynh added.

Mr. Quynh said that digital transformation in tourism can be implemented by building a smart hotel and restaurant model, using technology in marketing and business activities, using digital platforms, and organising virtual events. He also underlined the need to digitize human resources management system in tourism, and use cloud computing for better management of resources and reduce the costs as soon as possible.

Reporting by NHAT HA – Translating by H.L